Stripper mechanism for sewing machines



May 19, 1959 A. N. HALE STRIPPER MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 28. 1956 y 9, 1959 A. N. HALE 2,887,077

STRIPPER MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES 1 Filed May 28, 1956 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 19, 1959 A.- N. HALE STRIPPER MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed ma '28, 1956 A. N. HALE STRIPPER MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES May 19, 1959 8 Sheets-Shee t 4' Filed May 28, 1956 FIG.6

1 May 19, 1959 A. N. HALE 3 5 STRIPPER MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES j Filed May 2a. 1956 s Sheets-Shoat a FIGQTV i May 19, 1959 A. N. HALE 2,887,077

STRIPPER MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed May 28, 1956 8 Sheets$heef 6 FIG. 9

May 19, 1959 I A. N. HALE 2,887,077

STRIPPER MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed May 28, 1956 1 8 Sheets-Sheet I II I I I o N p I I, I II I a l ll 0 I I II I I '2' -':2 T a T I p x y 1959 N. HALE 2,887,077 IPPER MECHANISM FOR sswmc MACHINES 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed May 28, 1956 United States 111., assignor to Union Spe- Chicago, 111., a corporation of This invention relates to sewing machines provided with roller feed mechanisms. It is particularly concerned with mechanism for preventing the fabric and also any free thread, in chain form or otherwise, which may be provided between successive work pieces, from wrapping around the feed roller. The mechanism is of particular utility in connection with sewing machines of the feed-01fthe-arm type equipped with a top roller feed, but it is applicable also to machines of other types equipped with roller feed mechanisms.

A primary object of the invention has been to provide simple, effective and reliable means for stripping both the fabric and any free thread from the surface of a feed roller to prevent the fabric and thread from wrapping about the roller or otherwise becoming entangled with the associated mechanism. Heretofore various means have been employed or suggested for stripping fabric from feed rollers. While some ofthese have been satisfactory for this purpose, none have been capable of effectively stripping free thread, whether chain or Unchained, from a feed roller. In the use of sewing machines, particularly those of the feed-oif-the-arm type, it is frequently desirable to chain on: between successive work pieces and form free thread chains, and it is, therefore, desirable to provide a stripper mechanism capable of preventing the entanglement of such thread with the feed roller or its associated devices. In instances in which the stitch forming threads do not chain out it is also desirable to prevent wrapping of the free ends of these.

In accordance with the present invention the feed roller is of toothed formation, having relatively broad ratchetlike teeth extending across its peripheral face. The improved stripper rnechanism comprises a pair of cup-shaped members mounted for rotation with the feed roller and provided with laterally extending fingers adapted to fit into the spaces between the teeth of the feed roller. These cup-shaped stripper members have a slightly greater outside diameter than the maximum diameter of the feed roller and they are arranged to shift in a radial direction with respect to the shaft which carries the feed roller, so that in certain portions of their travel with the feed roller, the fingers will be positioned within the spaces between the teeth on the feed roller, whereas in other portions of their travel they will be positioned, at least in part, outwardly of the feed roller teeth. The arrangement is such that the fingers will tend 'to cast off or strip from the feed roller both the fabric and any free thread chain as the latter is advanced at the discharge side of the feed roller.

In the preferred construction there is provided, in association with the feed roller and in advance thereof, a presser foot adapted to cooperate with the work. The presser foot and feed roller are arranged for independent -movement upwardly or away from the work supporting surface of the machine in response to the passage of cross seams, or the like, in the work successively beneath the presser foot and feed roller. Provision, however, is made for lifting the press er foot andfee'd roller simultaneously under manual or treadle control whenever desired, to

r atent facilitate the introductionor removal of work or the like. Also, provision is made for limiting the downward, springurged movement of the feed roller so that it may be prevented from actual contact with the work supporting surface or a cooperating feed dog. At such times, however, the stripper members will lightly engage the work supporting surface or the feed dog.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will appear from the detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the same which will now be given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a machine of the feed-off-the-arm type to which the invention has been shown applied;

Fig. 2 is a 'plan view of the machine with aportion-of the frame broken away;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the machine, taken from the side opposite from that shown in Fig. l, with a portion of the frame broken away and certain parts shown in section;

Fig. 4- is a vertical sectional view through a portion of the overhanging head of the machine;

Fig. 5 is an elevational View of the improved top feed roller mechanism, the fabric and thread chain stripping mechanism and presser foot, with the cooperating work supporting arm shown in broken lines;

Fig. 6 is a detail view, in elevation, of a bracket employed in connection with the top feed roller;

Figs. 7 and 8 are enlarged elevational views taken from the left in Fig. 5, showing optional arrangements of the top feed roller and presser foot in relation to the work supporting arm and feed dog;

Fig. .9 is an enlarged elevational view of the top feed roller, the stripper mechanism and the presser foot, together with related devices;

Fig. 10 is a horizontal sectional view taken along different planes through the devices shown in. Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a detail view in elevation showing the top feed roller and the stripper mechanism in assembled relation;

Fig. 12 is a vertical sectional view through the devices shown in Fig. 1 1, taken along the axis of the roller carrying craft;

Fig. '13 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line lit-13 of Fig. 12; and

Fig. 14 is an exploded perspective view of the top feed roller and the stripper means.

Referring now to the drawings, the invention has been shown as applied to a feed-oif-the-arm type of sewing machine of the character illustrated in the LeVesconte et al. Patent No. 2,494,888, granted January 17, 1950, and the earlier patents mentioned therein. The machine com-- prises a frame having a base portion 11 adapted to be supported by the top of a work table or the like. This base portion extends upwardly and is curved outwardly to provide a horizontally extending frame portion 12, at one end of which there is a downwardly extending hollow portion 13 carrying at its lower end a laterally extending work supporting arm 14. The latter is angled outwardly away from the vertical plane containing the axis of the portion 12 of the frame to enable the operator to manipulate readily the work to be handled by the machine. At the opposite end of the horizontally extending portion 12 of the frame there is provided a laterally extending head 15, which extends over the outer endof the work supporting arm 14.

Suitably journaled in the portion 12 of the frame is a main driving shaft 16, which has secured thereto, outwardly of the frame at its left end, Fig. 1, a combined hand wheel and pulley 17. It will be understood that power may be supplied to the main driving shaft .16 through a belt connected with 'the pulley 17 and extendingtfrom a suitable source of power, such as an electric transmitter.

Various operating devices of the machine required for the formation of lines of stitching and for operating a feed dog, as well as performing other functions incidental to the operation of the machine, are driven from the main shaft 16 through connections of the character disclosed in said LeVesconte et al. patent and the earlier patents mentioned therein. It is believed unnecessary for the purposes of the present invention to describe these devices and operating connections. It may be stated, however, that the stitch forming devices in the illustrated machine include three needles 18 carried by a needle bar 19, Fig. 9, adapted for vertical reciprocation in the overhanging head 15 of the frame. Cooperating with the needles in stitch formation area plurality of loopers arranged Within the work supporting arm for loop seizing and loop shedding movements as well asneedle avoid movements. Also within the work supporting arm there is provided a four motion feed dog 20 of the character illustrated in either Fig. 7 or Fig. 8. The feed dog is given four motion movements by suitable connections from the drive shaft 16 of the character disclosed in the above mentioned patents. Cooperating with the feed dog in advancing the work, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a presser foot 21 (Figs. 1, 5, 7 and 8) and, in rear of the latter, a feed roller, to be presently described in detail, with its cooperating fabric and thread chain stripping mechanism.

The top feed roller is shown at 22 in Figs. l2, l3 and 14. It may have teeth of any suitable form, but, as illustrated in Fig. 12, it is provided with teeth having a scalloped formation longitudinally of the roller, due to the provision of circumferential grooves 22a around the periphery of the roller. The general radial configuration of the teeth is shown in Fig. 13. Roller '22 is mounted on a stub shaft 23, to which it is secured by means of a set screw 24 having its head radially inward of the outermost portions of the teeth. The shaft 23 is journaled in a bracket 25, Figs. 1, and 6, which is secured by means of a screw 26 to the lower end of a spring-urged bar or rod 27. Bracket 25 is provided with spaced, downwardly extending legs 28 and 29, provided at their lower ends with hearing portions in which the shaft is journaled. Outwardly of the leg 29 there is secured to the shaft 23 a bevel gear 30 which meshes with a bevel gear 31 secured to the lower end of a shaft 32 journaled in a vertically extending sleeve 33 integral with or otherwise secured to the bracket 25. The arrangement is such that the bracket will be lifted and lowered as the roller cooperates with work of varying thickness, as in passing over seams and the like, and it may also be lifted and lowered under manual or treadle control. As the bracket rises and falls the bevel gears 30 and 31 and the shaft 32 will correspondingly rise and fall. Shaft 32 is connected through an extensible coupling 34 with a drive shaft 35, through which the feed roller is given intermittent, step-by-step movements. For imparting such movements to the shaft 35, and hence the feed roller, suitable connections are provided from the drive shaft 16. These include a oneway clutch 36 of generally known construction. This clutch, in the present instance, is smaller in diameter than a conventional clutch of this character, but it is provided with the usual roller driving connections between an oscillatable arm and plate and the housing and driven shaft and a corresponding series of rollers which prevent rotation of the housing and driven shaft in the opposite direction. In principle, this clutch is of the type disclosed in the patent to Edgar Schoij, No. 2,494,006, granted January 10, 1950. The connections for operating the one-way clutch comprise an eccentric 37 on the shaft 16 adjacent the pulley 17, cooperating with a strap 38 at one end of a pitman 39, Figs. 1 and 3. At its upper end the pitman is provided with a strap cooperating with a stud 40 carried by a rock plate 41 pivotally mounted on the frame of the machine. An

upwardly extending arm of the plate 41 is provided with an elongated arcuate slot 42 adapted to receive adjustably a stud 43 which may be clamped in any selected position along the slot to provide the desired feed stroke. Pivotally carried by the stud 43 is one end of a link 44, the opposite end of which has a strap 45 cooperating with a ball pin 46 carried by an arm 47 integral with a plate mounted for oscillatory movement, at the top of the one-way clutch 36, about the axis of the shaft 35. A spider-like spring member 48 urges the plate connected with arm 47 downwardly into engagement with a friction ring 49 at the top of the clutch housing to create adesirable friction for assisting in the prevention of overthrow of the clutch in the course of its operation. It will be understood that, through the foregoing connections, intermittent turning movements will be imparted to the shaft 35 of the clutch unit in the desired direction, and such movement will be transmitted through the extensible connection 34 to the shaft 32 and thus impart the step-by-step movement to the feed roller. The extensible connection 34 maintains the appropriate driving connection between the shafts 35 and 32 as the presser roller rises and falls. A collar 50 secured to the shaft 32 engages the upper surface of the bearing sleeve 33 of the bracket 25 so that the up and down movements of the roller will be imparted to the shaft 32.

Rod 27, which carries the bracket 25, is spring-urged downwardly by a spring 51 cooperating at its lower end with a collar 52 secured to the rod 27 and cooperating at its upper end with the bottom of a screw-threaded sleeve 53. By appropriate turning of the sleeve 53, the compressive force of the spring 51 may be varied to provide the appropriate pressure of the roller against the work. Collar 52 may, if desired, be secured to the rod 27 at such an elevation thereon that when it is urged downwardly it will be brought into engagement with the top surface of a block or extension 15a secured to, or integral with, the head 15 of the frame. The adjustment of the collar may be such that when the rod 27 is thus urged into its lowermost position, the teeth of the feed roller will have a slight clearance in relation to the cooperating surface of the work supporting arm 14, or the teeth of the feed dog 20 if the arrangement shown in Fig. 8 is employed.

The presser foot 21 is rockably mounted by means of screws 54 (Figs. 4 and 5) on the lower ends of spaced arms 55 of a shank member. This member has a portion 56 at its upper end suitably secured, by a set-screw or the like, to the lower end of a presser bar 57. At its upper end this bar is of reduced cross-section and arranged to receive a cap element 58 carried at the end of a leaf spring 59 which serves to urge the presser bar downwardly to force the presser foot 21 yieldingly into engagement with the work supporting surface of the arm 14 or with the feed dog 20. At its opposite end the leaf spring 59 bears upon and is secured by a screw or the like to a portion of the frame, and at an intermediate point it is provided with an opening through which extends a stud 60 pivotally secured to the top of the frame. A knurled nut 61 cooperating with screw threads on the stud 60 may be turned to very the force of the leaf spring.

Means are provided for simultaneously lifting the feed roller and the presser foot from the work supporting surface of the arm 14 under manual or treadle con trol. This is best shown in Figs 3 and 4. It comprises a lever 62 secured to a stud 63 rockably mounted on the frame. At its outer end the lever 62 is arranged for suitable connection, by a chain or the like, with a treadle. An upwardly extending arm of the lever 62 has pivotally connected therewith a link 64, the forward end of which is pivotally connected with a bell crank 65 secured to a rock shaft 66. A forwardly extending arm of the bell crank has pivotally connected theree-gi with the upper end of a link 67, the lower end of which is provided with an elongated slot 68 arranged to receive a screw 69 carried by the collar 52. This arrangement is such that the collar 52 and rod 27 may be lifted and lowered without disturbing the bell crank 65, but when the latter is rocked counterclockwise (Fig. 3) it will lift the collar 52 and hence the feed roller. Rock shaft 66, at an intermediate point, carries a finger 70 (Fig. 4) which extends beneath a portion of a collar 71 secured to the presser bar 57. Accordingly, as the shaft 66 is rocked in a counterclockwise direction, the presser bar will be lifted against the action of the spring 59. It will thus be seen that both the feed roller and the presser foot will be lifted upon the oper ation of the lever 62.

Turning now to the improved stripper mechanism which, as above indicated, serves not only to prevent wrapping of the work around the feed roller but also to prevent wrapping of free thread, in chain form or otherwise, around said roller or related parts, this is disclosed in detail in Figs. 11-13. It comprises a pair of cupshaped members 72 and 73. Each of these has a radially extending flange portion 74 carrying outwardly extending toothlike formations 75, the outer ends of which are bent laterally to provide fingers. 76 parallel with the axis of the feed roller. The fingers 76 are equal in number to, and spaced like, the teeth of the feed roller. Fingers 76 of the member 72 are preferably shorter than the majority of those of the member 73, so that the slight space provided between the adjacent ends of the fingers on the two members is positioned in a plane to one side of the median transverse plane through the feed roller. However, two of the fingers on the member 73, as indicated at 77 in Fig. 11, are shorter than the fingers 76 on this member to provide access to the screw 24 by which the feed roller is secured to the shaft 23. The members 72 and 73 are preferably of slightly greater outside diameter than the maximum diameter of the toothed roller 22. This difference may be of the order of, say, .01". Centrally of the flange portions 74 of each of the members 72 and 73, there is provided an opening '78 which is of slightly greater diameter than the diameter of the shaft 23. Thus if the shaft is .312 in diameter the opening 78 may suitably be in diameter. This permits lateral or radial movement of the members 72 and 73 in relation to the shaft 23. A slight clearance is provided be tween the ends of the roller 22 and the adjacent bosses or hearing portions of the arms 28 and 2% to allow freedom of movement of the members 72 and 73 in the -lateral or radial direction mentioned.

A spring plate 79 (Figs. 5, 7 and 8) is secured by a screw 80 to the top portion 56 of the presserfoot-carrying shank member. A vertically elongated opening Shh in the spring plate 7? (Fig. permits of vertical adjustment of the latter. This spring plate has its lower portion bent inwardly, i.e., toward the left in Figs. 7 and 8, and is arranged to bear against the members '72 and 73 and urge these toward the left. This is permitted by the enlarged openings 78 mentioned above. As a result, the fingers 76 in the region of the spring plate 79 will be urged into the spaces between the teeth of the feed roller, and will, in efiect, mesh with the latter, Whereas the fingers 76 at the opposite side will have their outer surfaces positioned radially outwardly of the outer ends of the teeth on the feed roller. Similarly, the engagement of the fingers 76 with the work on the work supporting surface of the arm 14 will tend to urge these fingers of the members 72 and 73 upwardly, in this region of their travel, into the spaces between the teeth of the feed roller 22, while the fingers at the top of the members 72 and 73, i.e., those traveling through the top portion of their circular path, will project somewhat beyond the teeth of the feed roller.

In the operation of the device, it will be apparent that the members .72 and 73 will rotate with the feed "roller, due, at least in part, to the frictional engagement of the work with the lowermost fingers of the members 72 and 73 as the work is being advanced. Moreover, the teeth on the feed roller will cooperate with the fingers 76 in those portions of their travel which are at the bottom and at the right (Figs. 7 and 8) in the course of rotation of the feed roller, and will thus effect a positive drive of the members 72 and 73. Since the fingers 76 have portions which are radially outward of the teeth of the feed roller, on the discharge side of the latter, i.e., toward the left in Figs. 7 and 8, it will be clear that any fabric or free thread having a tendency to wrap around the feed roller will be forced away from the latter and thus stripped from the feed roller.

It will be understood that the machine will be equipped with the usual accessory devices, such as thread tensioning, thread take-up devices and the like. As shown in Fig. 3, a housing 81 formed of metal or a suitable plastic is preferably provided to enclose the bevel gears 3d and 31. This housing may be formed in two sections appropriately held together by a pair of screws. The housing as a whole may be mounted on the sleeve 33 of the bracket 25. Screw holes 82 in the latter are provided for this purpose.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed in considerable detail, it will be understood that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the general principles and scope of the invention, as defined by the claims. Moreover, as indicated above, the invention is applicable to machines other than those of the feed-olf-the-arm type. In 'fact, it is generally applicable to sewing machines having roller feed members around which the work or free thread, in chain form or otherwise, may have a tendency to wrap.

What is claimed is:

1. In a sewing machine having a toothed top feed roller having teeth extending across the same arranged to engage the work, a stripper mechanism comprising rigid means mounted for rotation with said roller, said means being so mounted as to be shiftable as a whole in a direction transverse to the axis of said roller and having a plurality of fingers extending longitudinally of said roller, said means being arranged for rotation about an axis eccentric to the axis of said roller and so that said fingers are arranged in one portion of their travel to lie completely within the space between adjacent teeth on said roller and arranged in another portion of their travel to present at least a part thereof radially beyond the outer edges of the teeth on said roller.

2. In a sewing machine having a toothed top feed roller arranged to engage the work, a stripper mechanism comprising a pair of rigid cup-shaped members mounted for rotation with said roller, said members each being so mounted as to be shiftable as a whole in a direction transverse to the axis of said roller and collectively having a plurality of fingers extending 1ongitudinally of said roller from the opposite ends thereof, said members being arranged for rotation about an axis eccentric to the axis of said roller and so that said fingers are arranged in one portion of their travel to lie completely within the space between adjacent teeth on said roller and arranged in another portion of their travel to present at least a part thereof radially beyond the outer edges of the teeth on said roller.

3. In a sewing machine having a toothed top feed roller arranged to engage the work, a stripper mechanism comprising a pair of rigid cup-shaped members mounted for rotation with said roller, said members each being so mounted as to be shiftable as a whole in a direction transverse to the axis of said roller and collectively having a plurality of fingers extending longitudinally of said roller from the opposite ends thereof, the fingers of one of said members being alined with those of the other of said members and having their ends spaced slightly from the ends of those of the other, said members being arranged for rotation about an axis eccentric to the axis of said roller and so that said fingers are arranged in one portion of their travel to lie completely within the space between adjacent teeth on said roller and arranged in another portion of their travel to present at least a part thereof radially beyond the outer edges of the teeth on said roller.

4. In a sewing machine having a toothed top feed roller arranged to engage the work, a stripper mechanism com prising a pair of rigid cup-shaped members mounted for rotation with said roller, said members .each being so mounted as to be shiftable as a whole in a direction transverse to the axis of said roller and collectively having a plurality of fingers extending longitudinally of said roller from the opposite ends thereof, the fingers of one of said members being alined withthose of the other of said members and having their ends spaced slightly from the ends of those of the other, the fingers on said one of said members being substantially longer than the fingers on the other of said members, said members being arranged for rotation about an axis eccentric to the axis of said roller and so that said fingers are arranged in one portion of their travel to lie completely within the space between adjacent teeth on said roller and arranged in another portion of their travel to present at least a part thereof radially beyond the outer edges of the teeth on said roller.

5. In a sewing machine having a feed roller arranged to engage the work, said roller having a plurality of recesses extending across its outer circumferential face, a stripper mechanism comprising rigid means mounted for rotation with said roller, said means being so mounted as to be shiftable as a whole in a direction transverse to the axis of said roller and having a plurality of fingers extending across the outer circumferential face of said roller, said means being arranged for rotation about an axis eccentric to the axis of said roller and so that said fingers are arranged in one portion of their travel to lie completely within the recesses of said roller and arranged in another portion of their travel to present at least a part thereof radially beyond the outer circumference of said roller.

6. In a sewing machine having a feed roller arranged to engage the work, said roller having a plurality of recesses extending across its outer circumferential face, a stripper mechanism comprising a pair of rigid members one adjacent each end of said roller and mounted for rotation with said roller, said members each being so mounted as to be shiftable as a whole in a direction transverse to the axis of said roller and each having a plurality of fingers extending along the outer circumferential face of said roller from the adjacent end thereof, the fingers of one of said members being alined with those of the other of said members and having their ends spaced slightly from the ends of those of the other, said members being arranged for rotation about an axis eccentric to the axis of said roller and so that said fingers are arranged in one portion of their travel to lie completely within the recesses of said roller and arranged in another portion of their travel to present at least a part thereof radially beyond the outer circumference of said roller.

7. In a sewing machine having a toothed top feed roller arranged to engage the work and a shaft supporting said roller for rotation about the axis thereof, a stripper mechanism comprising rigid means mounted on said shaft for rotation with said roller and for bodily movement as a whole transverse to the axis of said shaft, said means having a plurality of fingers extending longitudinally of said roller and arranged in one portion of their travel to lie completely within the space between adjacent teeth on said roller, said fingers in another portion of their travel being disposed at least in part radially outwardly of the teeth of said roller.

8. In a sewing machine having a feed roller arranged to engage the work and a shaft supporting said roller for rotation about the axis thereof, said roller having a plurality of recesses extending across its outer circumferential face, a stripper mechanism comprising rigid means mounted on said shaft for rotation with said roller and for bodily movement as a whole transverse to the axis of said shaft, said means having a plurality of fingers extending across the outer circumferential face of said roller and arranged in one portion of their travel to lie completely within the recesses of said roller, said fingers in another portion of their travel being disposed at least in part radially outwardly of the outer circumferential face of said roller.

9. In a sewing machine having a feed roller arranged to engage the work and a shaft supporting said roller for rotation about the axis thereof, said roller having a plurality of recesses extending across its outer circumferential face, means for rotating said feed roller to advance the work, a stripper mechanism comprising rigid means mounted on said shaft for rotation with said roller and for bodily movement as a whole transverse to the axis of said shaft, said means having a plurality of fingers extending across the outer circumferential face of said roller and arranged in that portion of their travel which coincides with the work receiving and advancing region of said roller to lie completely within the recesses of said roller, said fingers in that portion of their travel which coincides with the discharge side of said roller being disposed at least in part radially outwardly of the outer circumferential face of said roller.

10. In a sewing machine having a horizontally disposed, stationary work supporting member, work feeding means within said member arranged to advance work along the upper surface thereof, stitch forming means cooperating with said work as it is advanced along said surface, driving means including a rotary shaft for operating said work feeding means and said stitch forming means, a feed roller cooperating with the work above said surface, and connections from said shaft for operating said feed roller in coordination with said work feeding means, the combination of a stripper mechanism cooperating with said feed roller for stripping the work and free thread therefrom which comprises rigid means surrounding at least a portion of said feed roller and arranged to rotate therewith, said last mentioned means having a plurality of circumferentially spaced elements extending longitudinally of said roller and each so mounted as to be shiftable in a direction transverse to the axis of said roller, said elements having at least a portion thereof disposed radially outwardly of said roller in their travelwith the discharge side of said roller.

11. In a sewing machine having a horizontally disposed, stationary work supporting member, work feeding means within said member arranged to advance work along the upper surface thereof, stitch forming means cooperating with said work as it is advanced along said surf-ace, driving means including a rotary shaft for operating said work feeding means and said stitch forming means, a feed roller cooperating with the work above said surface, and connections from said shaft for operating said feed roller in coordination with said work feeding means, the combination of a stripper mechanism cooperating with said feed roller for stripping the work and free thread therefrom which comprises rigid means surrounding at least a portion of said feed roller and arranged to rotate therewith, said last mentioned means having a plurality of circumferentially spaced elements extending longitudinally of said roller, said last-mentioned means being so mounted on said roller that said elements are shiftable in a direction transverse to the axis of said roller, said elements having at least a portion thereof disposed radially outwardly of said roller in a portion of their travel with the periphery of said roller and being disposed wholly inwardly of the periphery of said roller in another portion of such travel.

12. In a sewing machine having a horizontally disposed, stationary work supporting member, work feeding means within said member arranged to advance work along the upper surface thereof, a presser foot cooperating with said work feeding means in advancing the work, stitch forming means cooperating with said work as it is advanced along said surface, driving means including a rotary shaft for operating said work feeding means and said stitch forming means, a feed roller cooperating with the work above said surface in rear of said presser foot, and connections from said shaft for operating said feed roller in coordination with said work feeding means, the combination of a stripper mechanism cooperating with said feed roller for stripping the work and free thread therefrom which comprises rigid means surrounding at least a portion of said feed roller and arranged to rotate therewith, said last mentioned means having a plurality of circumferentially spaced elements extending longitudinally of said roller, said last-mentioned means being so mounted on said feed roller that said elements are shiftable in a direction transverse to the axis of said roller, said elements having at least a portion thereof disposed radially outwardly of said roller in their travel with the discharge side of said roller, and means operable at will for simultaneously lifting said presser foot, said feed roller and said stripper mechanism away from said Work support.

13. In a sewing machine having a horizontally disposed, stationary work supporting member, work feeding means within said member arranged to advance work along the upper surface thereof, stitch forming means cooperating with said work as it is advanced along said surface, driving means including a rotary shaft for operating said work feeding means and said stitch forming means, a feed roller cooperating with the work above said surface, and connections from said shaft for operating said feed roller in coordination with said Work feeding means, the combination of a stripper mechanism cooperating with said feed roller for stripping the Work and free thread therefrom which comprises rigid means surrounding at least a portion of said feed roller and arranged to rotate therewith, said last mentioned means having a plurality of circumferentially spaced elements extending longitudinally of said roller and shiftable in a direction transverse to the axis of said roller, said elements having at least a portion thereof disposed radially outwardly of said roller in their travel with the discharge side of said roller, said last mentioned means being arranged for bodily movement in a direction transverse to the axis of said feed roller, and spring means urging said last mentioned means in the direction of feed.

14. In a sewing machine having a feed roller arranged to engage the work and a shaft supporting said roller for rotation about the axis thereof, said roller having a plurality of recesses extending across its outer circtunferential face, means for rotating said feed roller to advance the Work, a stripper mechanism comprising rigid means mounted on said shaft for rotation with said roller and for bodily movement as a whole in a direction transverse to the axis of said shaft, said means at least partially surrounding said roller and having a plurality of fingers extending across the outer circumferential face of said roller and arranged in that portion of their travel which coincides with the work receiving and advancing region of said roller to lie completely within the recesses of said roller, and spring means urging said last mentioned means transversely of the axis of said shaft in the direction of feed, said fingers in that portion of their travel which coincides with the discharge side of said roller being disposed at least in part radially outwardly of the outer circumferential face of said roller.

15. In a sewing machine having a feed roller arranged to engage the work, said roller having a plurality of recessees extending across its outer circumferential face, a stripper mechanism comprising rigid means mounted for rotation with said roller, said means being so mounted as to be shiftable 'as a whole in a direction transverse to the axis of said roller and having a plurality of fingers extending across the outer circumferential face of said roller, said means being arranged for rotation about an axis eccentric to the axis of said roller and so that said fingers are arranged in one portion of their travel to lie completely within the recesses of said roller and arranged in another portion of their travel to present at least a part thereof radially beyond the outer circumference of said roller, and a spring urging said means transversely of the axis of said shaft in the direction of feed of said roller thereby causing said fingers to extend at least in part beyond the outer circumference of said roller on the discharge side thereof.

Kucera Apr. 16, 1940 

